False Flag Feminism at its Finest. I absolutely love this cover, I like stuff about witches and feminism so I thought this would be a slam dunk, it wasn’t. It’s a collection of 21 “essays” (varied ramblings about self worth and witchcraft) from different people advocating for "change". Katie West (writer/editor/instigator) apparently lives in Edinburgh and used a Kickstarter to get it published, odd that she doesn’t live in America despite the book saying the jumping part for its publication was...

At its core, a book suggesting that life will always contain an element of ritual, so why not take ownership and make that work for you? Even more than most anthologies, the brief has necessarily stirred very different responses in different contributors, and for any reader there will be some that resonate more than others, maybe even some one bounces off entirely. The diversity of pieces is all the wider thanks to the diversity of contributors, which sometimes extends to an understandable prodd...

A good mixture of essays about individuals using their own brands of magic to resist and grow in the modern world.What I likedSerious and graphic content that, although uncomfortable, is important for perspective. A list of trigger warnings for each of the individual essays so readers can be prepared.A diverse list of thought inspiring authors and essays.Very well edited and put together.What I dislikedA minority of the essays' writing wasn't up to my standards but were still very good.TakeawayI...

Are you into witchy things, even a little, even if your definition differs from others? Are you into intersectional feminism? What about resisting? Read. This. Book.There's a truly impressive variety of voices amplified in this book, aka it's not just white women appropriating shit that doesn't belong to them. It's women of color (black and non-black), it's trans women, it's...wonderful. So many spiritual, religious, and non-spiritual belief structures are covered (yes, including at least one at...

There were So Many good essays in this anthology. And it's a long anthology, with more than 20 contributors, all of them describing their personal acts of power and ritual. Many of them glorify making themselves into monsters to take on the patriarchy and help to pull it down. Others don't engage with it at all, choosing not to give it more energy or power. Still more embraced their own sexuality to throw back against the patriarchy who would try to take that power from them.In the first essay o...

This book is powerful, funny, and at times very sad. Though it’s not a practical guide on witchcraft, or even on danger, it shows you how those who are often the most marginalized in our society use ritual to harness their own personal power. It’s about 21 people from all over embracing who they are, and stepping into their identities in magical ways. Every essay in the book might not appeal to you, but I can guarantee that some of the stories will be relatable and inspirational. Right away, the...

I wanted just a little bit more from this collection. While I applaud their intentional curation of authors spanning the entirety of witch culture...many of these essays felt repetitive. Still - a beautifully curated assortment of witchy experiences, practices and rituals. If you liked this you’ll love We Were Witches by Ariel Gore.

A luminous and unique collection of essays that frequently forced me to pause and reflect. I suppose the subject matter could be considered rather niche (Queer folks, magic users, minorities resisting the world by finding and harnessing their personal power...) but it’s lovely to have their voices all together in one place, rather than them being the sole voice of the token “other”. I always enjoy reading how others interpret their personal histories and tell their stories, but the frequent use

This the most empowering book I have read in a long time. It's not just another collection of essays bemoaning the injustice of our patriarchal world. It's also not your usual new age book about pagans, wiccan, and white girls who just really really like crystals. This is a collection of essays about womxn asserting power. Reading this reminded me of my powers and rituals I never bothered to assign any weight to. Becoming Dangerous reminded me that dedication, intention, and radical selfcare are...

I think the rating for this, if I'm going to be picky, would be closer to a 3.5 stars. The essays I liked, I really, REALLY fucking liked. But some of them were just not jiving with me. I think the point I may have missed before purchasing is that the book IS described as "deeply personal" essays. They really are. To the point where some of them really were just love letters to oneself. And that is fine! But I was hoping for more community liberation, less "self empowerment" mantra stuff. One es...

Okay, so, first of all: I didn't read every single essay in this book. Which is a good thing. The amazing editors thought to make a content warning page, which is a truly fantastic idea. These essays are very candid in their discussions of topics like trauma, institutional oppression, and death, and therefore might be upsetting. If you're interested in the different ways people cope with life (or trying to find inspiration for your own rituals), then I can't recommend this book enough. The conte...

Frustrating! Most of these essays read like the homework of that one girl in class who smelled of nag champa, wore half a dozen scarves even in summer, and always tried to derail the lecture with intimately personal stories about her current boyfriend troubles. I encourage your exploration of your orgasm; my question is whether it is directly relevant to the discussion. There is a lot of astrology in this book. There is a shitton of candle talk. There is also a lot of processing the 2016 America...

Ugh, this book was beautiful. Essays spanning multiple perspectives, each alive with details about rituals, mind maps, and meditations about sitting in and moving through uncomfortable places. Femme does not have a gender, it has no unified aesthetic, the only thing constant about it is it's varied nature. Highly recommend.

I really, REALLY wanted to love this book. If I could I would’ve given it 2.5 stars. I understand what they were trying to do with this book, but I don’t think they achieved it. Some essays were gems! I felt lost throughout the others. HOWEVER, I appreciated each essay for what it was: a personal essay. I greatly enjoyed the human-ness about it. I drew power from that. I’d still recommend this book because it’s important to read stories of those who don’t go viral who don’t fit the very careful

This book is merciless—and that’s exactly how I wanted it. From essays critiquing the privilege in desiring to be dangerous, to boxing and straight up witchcraft, this book legitimately fulfilled every one of my needs. I think I ended this book better, faster, and stronger. But also I ended it wanting another one and also to be friends with every one of the authors. Read it, ya heathens.

Such a wonderful collection of essays. I enjoyed most of them, which is rare for a collection like this. I would recommend this to anyone with even a hint of witchiness or feminism in them. A summary of each essay is below. ❤️Unfuckable - A tale about Scotland and about stories that are so strong they manifest in the real world.Trash-Magic - This one was soooo good. The writing spins you into her world and if you’ve never lived a scavenger life, it’s pretty eye-opening. It’s beautiful how she fi...

DNF, did not even start. It is a laughable joke that this book is about "resisting" and does not feature a single black person as a contributor. The one black editor, Jasmine Elliott, does not even get a piece to herself as she has to share it with the white Katie West. Then they have the nerve to conjure up Soujourner Truth's name and call her a witch. Big ol' ripe F-U-C-K you to this, thanks!EDIT: Okay, so there's actually ONE black contributor, J.A. Micheline. This somehow doesn't make me fee...

This book wasn't what I was expecting but I nevertheless found myself unable to put it down! Rather than underlining and adding sticky tabs to certain sections (as is my usual practice) I found that every essay left me with many things to think about. This book is valuable in sharing individual experiences which may be familiar, or utterly different from your own.'Ritualising my Humanity' by J. A. Micheline was especially poignant for me. As a white woman entranced by the power transferred throu...

this collection comes at a moment of peak trendiness for witchiness & femmeness, at least in my own lived experience so far. i was really excited about it, and also, the further i got through the collection, the more my excitement splatted onto the ground. don't get me wrong; i appreciated every piece in this collection & there are a lot of great stories & a lot of great writing. it feels important at this moment to have a more substantial documentation of individual femme practices of magic tha...

I have mixed feelings about this book. First, my husband was part of the Kickstarter and he's a big fan of West's work, and he gifted me with his copy received from his donation, which is pretty cool. I like the idea of the book, the approach and the energy it seems to want to convey. But I keep hitting up against what I fear may be a generational thing - a way of looking at the world that seems to me to take certain things as given that I'm not sure are givens.Now. To be totally honest, that do...